I recently was on the East Coast presenting to over 400 people at three companies in industries ranging from real estate to a Fortune 500 healthcare company to an investment management firm about the idea of “Living in YOUR Top 1%.” I am continually reminded that regardless of someone’s title, salary, industry, or size of the company, we all face similar issues to living our best life. We just handle them differently.

The Top Five Takeaways to Live in YOUR Top 1%:1. Speed Bumps Are Part of Life

We all hit speed bumps. Yes, all of us. Whether you are an experienced CEO, new mom, or first-time business owner, there are speed bumps or challenges. They just look differently to each of us. And, what may be a speed bump today may become routine tomorrow. Hitting a speed bump is really not a noteworthy event. The interesting part is how we maneuver around it. What I’ve seen as an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach is that the people who achieve and move forward understand that speed bumps are part of the process of going after what you want. One person had to be determined for four years to get a job at the company of his choice (and, yes, he had speed bumps such as a hiring freeze).

Often, the difference is a simple shift in your perspective to reclassify challenges and keep going.

2. Mindset Wins Every Time

“Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” Thank you Henry Ford.

Winners have a different mindset that says, “I can” or “I will figure it out and make it happen.” For example, I was incredibly inspired by one story of a property manager who oversaw a building that everyone labeled a disaster. The property manager refused to accept this story of mediocrity and hopelessness. He believed he could turn the building around and built a team to do just that. Before the end of the year, his building was one hundred percent occupied, and he was recognized for outstanding performance at the company’s annual conference. It’s a process, not magic.

Your mindset makes a big difference and directly impacts what opportunities you pursue.

3. Lean Away From Vague Goals

Here’s the bottom line: if you’re setting vague goals, you might as well not even set a goal. I know it sounds dramatic, but it’s true. Vague goals lead to vague or no results because it’s unclear what you are doing. For example, we need to start a training program, I will write a book, or I want to be a better leader are common examples of vague goals. When you are ready to be accountable and clear on what you want, you are ready to set a goal. Go ahead and declare to the world what you are going to do. And, by the way, major companies and senior team leaders set vague goals all the time so you are not alone. It’s much easier to leave things vague because it’s harder to evaluate the results.

One note, there is nothing vague about living your best life. Clarify what you want and go after it (and, yes, this takes time and asking good questions).

4. Focus On The Why

People who achieve their goal are really clear on the “WHY.” There’s a difference between setting a specific goal and setting a goal that is both meaningful and exciting to you.

When you have a strong why, it gives you a renewed sense of purpose and the motivation to continue moving forward.

Why do you want to be in shape, start a business, become an author, or start a blog? Is it something you should do or something that is important to you? Ask yourself why two or three times to truly understand why a specific goal matters to you. If a goal does not resonate and connect with your values, it will be difficult to move beyond speed bumps. When you are clear on your why, you will wake up with a renewed sense of purpose and vigor.

5. It’s a Privilege to Live Outside Your Comfort Zone

100% of the people I’ve talked to who have achieved special moments (a.k.a. Top 1% Moments) experienced uncertainty and were outside their comfort zone—from the single dad bringing up his daughters to the first-time manager to the woman in her thirties buying real estate properties to generate passive income.

Yes, it’s scary when things are uncertain. It’s uncomfortable for all of us. But it’s part of the process for personal development.

It’s a privilege because it means that growth and opportunity are right around the corner. What if you were 100% certain that moving outside your comfort zone and experiencing uncertainty led to personal growth? I’ve got a secret for you: it does, and it’s a privilege.

Top 1% Bottom Line: Living your best life is a process. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself on a bumpy road. That simply tells you it’s the right path and keep going. A resilient mindset will help you move through difficult days, as will clear-cut goals. Opportunity awaits all of us.

About Alissa

Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Brookfield Property Partners, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dress for Success. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook

Living in Your Top 1% is about potential and possibility. It’s about taking the words can’t, should and impossible out of your vocabulary and shifting your mindset to say “I can.” Yes, sounds easy enough.

I live in Santa Monica, CA and was in NYC giving a seminar to an investment management company on Living in Your Top 1%. After the program, I spent a few days in NYC with my family and friends. One night after dinner I met some friends and the conversation steered toward our goals, dreams, and challenges in the new year. A fascinating discussion emerged. There were five of us sitting at the table, four women and one man all in our 40′s. One of the women was a talented artist who described herself as self-taught. I share this because she was allowing the seemingly innocuous term “self-taught” to define her story and limit her ability as an artist to create and do what she loves. I asked what if Madonna bought a piece of her work? Would she still be insecure that she was self-taught? Would that validate her work? She smiled and understood the wake-up call.
Words are powerful. A client of mine likes to use the word disaster when describing parts of her life. Well, a disaster is some event that causes great damage – not something that any of us truly want to experience. The word disaster does not shine positive energy (do you agree?). The question we need to ask is how does the word disaster, or any other word that drains our energy, move you forward on your path?

Bottom Line: Use words that empower you.

When you go on a road trip, you either use your GPS or look up directions on Google or Yahoo. Typically, you search for the most direct route with the least amount of traffic. Well, shouldn’t you use the same approach with your own life? When you use words like disaster and self-taught you are simply adding in traffic and detours to your path. It’s a common pitfall so don’t feel bad. The good news is you can alter how you connect the dots with three easy steps:

1. Bring greater awareness to the words you use on a daily basis.

2. Keep a two-day journal and write down a few key phrases that you use frequently. Do they help you move forward?

3. Make a conscious decision and write down the words you like and want to use such as inspiration, motivation, gratitude, kindness, laughter etc.

Listen to the words you use to see if they propel you forward or hold you back. Often we are not even aware of our core word choices. We are all closer than we think to achieving top 1% moments but we need a little help up the hill. Use words and surround yourself with supportive people who help you be a shining star.

What dreams and goals would you love to achieve this year? Would you love to start your own profitable business, run your first 5k, or actually have time to focus on yourself? This is the time to take a step forward.

As you move forward this month, consider three questions:

1. What do you love to do?
2. What would you love to do more of?
3. What would you love to stop doing?

Please share your thoughts and dreams and empower people to take a small step forward and live in their top 1%.

Believe in yourself,
Alissa

About Alissa

Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Brookfield Property Partners, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dress for Success. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook

I created this special Living in YOUR Top 1% action plan podcast because I know how difficult it can be to get started. I have also learned that we all need some support regardless of our previous achievements. The perfect place to start is right where you are regardless of how imperfect it may seem at the time. Please give yourself 25 minutes of uninterrupted time to focus on yourself and listen to the podcast. Feel free to write down some ideas in your journal or computer to start the process. The ideas in this podcast are from my book Living in YOUR Top 1%which provides a more detailed roadmap to help people live their best life.

Living in YOUR Top 1% is about expanding your mindset and broadening your idea of what’s possible to live YOUR best life. It’s about taking the words can’t, should and impossible out of your vocabulary and focusing on what you CAN do today — however big or small the step may be. It’s often only a small mindset shift between good and great. Think about what goals you would be excited to achieve this year and then let’s make it happen.

Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb, the Milken Institute, LA Business Journal, Prostate Cancer Foundation, and NBC Universal. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook

Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb, the Milken Institute, LA Business Journal, Prostate Cancer Foundation, and NBC Universal. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook

Letting go is a difficult concept in business and in life. Part of you feels like you’re losing or failing at something. The other side, though, is you’re opening yourself up to new possibilities. The concept of letting go matters because you can’t hold on to and stay open to new possibilities at the same time. You have to choose.

Perhaps you dislike your company and your boss but continue to hold on and forgo working in an enjoyable role with a mentor who would have developed your leadership skills.

Perhaps you’re holding on to a job at a great company, with a fancy title, but which prevents you from pursuing your passion.

Perhaps you’re retaining a nice employee who is doing a poor job and holding back your organization, while at same time preventing the employee from finding a more appropriate role.

Perhaps you’re holding on to responsibilities that you would be better off delegating.

And perhaps you’re holding on to a personal relationship or a business deal which serves neither of you, as opposed to having a relationship that enhances your life.

We’ve all done our share of each of these; I know I have. Every step forward you don’t take is a step you give up on your journey to fulfilling your potential. You may think this conflict weighs only on your life, but it can have an impact on your partner, your family, a team, an organization, a community and ultimately, our society.

The issue is finding the right balance. I’m not suggesting you quit your job today if you’re not completely happy. Nor am I suggesting you break up with your significant other. But pause and do an honest assessment by asking the following:

1. What are you holding on to?

2. Does it have a positive or negative impact on your business and your life?

3. Can you impose a deadline to re-evaluate and make a decision?

4. If you had no constraints, could you turn that something you are holding on to into something positive? If so, what would it be?

5. What three steps can you take this week to make progress?

These questions may seem simple, but they can be challenging to answer and take time to put into practice. Our work is to align what we know and what we practice.Success is not an overnight game.

Both choices—what to hold on to and where to let go—are scary so you might as well make the choice with some positive upside. It can take time but know that it’s possible!

I’d love to hear what you need to let go of to move to the next level in your career and life. Let me know below in a comment, or feel free to directly email me.